NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF OPERATIONAL DOWNTIME AT GARGOUB COMMERCIAL PORT

Youssef A. Abdrabou, Moataz S. Hassan, Maysara K. El-Tahhan

Abstract


This study presents a comprehensive numerical assessment of operational downtime at Gargoub Commercial Port, a strategic Mediterranean development in Egypt, under current and projected climate conditions. Coastal ports are increasingly susceptible to wave-induced disturbances and sea- level rise (SLR). A 30-year offshore wave hindcast (1994–2024) was produced using a calibrated MIKE 21 Spectral Waves (SW) model, with the outputs informing simulations of wave behavior in the port basin using MIKE 21 Boussinesq Waves (BW) for two development layouts: the near-complete interim layout (Layout 1) and the final planned expansion (Layout 2). Operational downtime at Gargoub Port was assessed under current and projected SLR conditions following PIANC (2014) quay-specific thresholds. Under Layout 1, bulk carriers and general cargo vessels were largely unaffected under both the baseline and SLR conditions, whereas container and Ro-Ro vessels experienced notable downtime at the more exposed multi-purpose quays. Expansion of the port (Layout 2) eliminated wave-induced downtime for all vessel types, demonstrating enhanced operational resilience. A projected SLR of +1.01 m had a negligible effect on berth-level operations, and full port shutdown at the navigation channel remained nearly unchanged (341–345 hours/year). These findings highlight the importance of port configuration and offshore wave climate in shaping operational performance and demonstrate the applicability of the modeling framework for supporting resilient port planning and management in comparable coastal settings. 

Keywords


Gargoub Port, Operational Downtime, MIKE 21, Sea-Level Rise (SLR)

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References


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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21622/MARLOG.2026.15.1.101

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The International Maritime Transport and Logistics Journal (MARLOG)

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